Post by Admin on Feb 2, 2014 4:24:44 GMT
What you need
If you want to make a variety of pancakes with ease, make sure you have the following kitchen equipment and items on hand before you begin:
a balloon whisk to mix the batter ingredients
a non-stick frying pan for making pancakes, pikelets and blini
a steel crepe pan or an 18cm (base measurement) non-stick frying pan for making crepes
paper towel and salt to season a new steel crepe pan
butter and a pastry brush or paper towel to grease the pan
a teaspoon (for blini) and a dessertspoon (for pikelets) to measure out even quantities of batter
an egg lifter for turning pancakes.
Batter basics
There are two types of pancake batters - pouring batters and thick or "drop" batters. Pouring batters are used to make crepes and have the same consistency as thin cream and contain no raising agents. Drop batters are used to make pancakes, pikelets and blini, and contain a raising agent such as baking powder. To these basic batters you can also add flavourings such as fruit, nuts, cheese or herbs.
For expert results, follow these three simple steps:
Step 1: Always sift dry ingredients, such as flour, raising agents or spices, into a bowl before combining them with the liquid ingredients. This will ensure your batter is light and airy.
Step 2: Don't overmix pancake batter as this will stop the raising agent from aerating, which will make the batter tough and leathery and result in flat, dense pancakes. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, then add the combined liquid ingredients, such as milk, butter and eggs, to the well. Use a balloon whisk to gradually draw the dry ingredients into the liquid, whisking constantly until a smooth batter forms.
Step 3: To produce light pancakes, the flour particles in the batter need time to expand. To achieve this, cover the bowl and place it in fridge for 30 minutes to rest before using.
If you want to make a variety of pancakes with ease, make sure you have the following kitchen equipment and items on hand before you begin:
a balloon whisk to mix the batter ingredients
a non-stick frying pan for making pancakes, pikelets and blini
a steel crepe pan or an 18cm (base measurement) non-stick frying pan for making crepes
paper towel and salt to season a new steel crepe pan
butter and a pastry brush or paper towel to grease the pan
a teaspoon (for blini) and a dessertspoon (for pikelets) to measure out even quantities of batter
an egg lifter for turning pancakes.
Batter basics
There are two types of pancake batters - pouring batters and thick or "drop" batters. Pouring batters are used to make crepes and have the same consistency as thin cream and contain no raising agents. Drop batters are used to make pancakes, pikelets and blini, and contain a raising agent such as baking powder. To these basic batters you can also add flavourings such as fruit, nuts, cheese or herbs.
For expert results, follow these three simple steps:
Step 1: Always sift dry ingredients, such as flour, raising agents or spices, into a bowl before combining them with the liquid ingredients. This will ensure your batter is light and airy.
Step 2: Don't overmix pancake batter as this will stop the raising agent from aerating, which will make the batter tough and leathery and result in flat, dense pancakes. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, then add the combined liquid ingredients, such as milk, butter and eggs, to the well. Use a balloon whisk to gradually draw the dry ingredients into the liquid, whisking constantly until a smooth batter forms.
Step 3: To produce light pancakes, the flour particles in the batter need time to expand. To achieve this, cover the bowl and place it in fridge for 30 minutes to rest before using.